Porsche to Focus on Plug-In Hybrids; Not Interested in Pure Electric Vehicles

German automaker Porsche shows no interest in pure electric vehicles. Why? Well, as Porsche puts it, battery-only vehicles simply do not provide sufficient range. But don’t count Porsche out of the plug-in mix.

Porsche is keen on plug-in hybrids and says that it will focus its efforts there for the next “five to ten years.”

Porsche Will Build 918 Of The 918 Spyder Hybrid Plug-In

There’s one more reason why electric vehicles aren’t a fit for Porsche right now: performance. As a maker of some of the quickest and fastest automobiles on the planet, Porsche says that current electric vehicle technology isn’t there yet to provide Porsche-like acceleration, handling and top speed.

But plug-in hybrid technology is. Just look at some of these specs for the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder—a plug-in hybrid hypercar:

Engine

4.6-Liter V-8 W/ Two Electric Parallel Motors

Total Horsepower

795 Horsepower

Total Torque

575 Pound-Feet

Transmission

7-Speed PDK Automated Manual

Fuel Economy

78 mpg

CO2 Emissions

70 g/km

Top Speed (Hybrid/Electric)

202 mph / 93 mph

Acceleration (0-62 mph/0-124 mph/0-186 mph)

3 Seconds / 9 Seconds / 27 Seconds

Battery

Lithium-Ion W. 6.8 kWh Capacity, 200 kW

In the US, the Porsche 918 Spyder will carry a staggering base price of $845,000. Options will easily push the 918 Spyder past the $1,000,000 mark. But it’s sold out.

“We are so late to the game, and have not invested enough into battery technology to offer a 100+mile EV car. So we are going the plug-in route until Tesla launches their new 200 EV mile Roadster, and we are forced to react.”